


Now That I Got You Close

by Queenie_004



Series: Happiness Begins [2]
Category: To All the Boys I've Loved Before (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, College Covinsky, Developing Relationship, Don't copy to another site, F/M, Fluff and Smut, New Couple Shit, Sex Haze
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-20
Updated: 2021-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-22 00:15:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30030084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queenie_004/pseuds/Queenie_004
Summary: A University Covinsky AU: After their slow burn cross country road trip ends in a very public romantic declaration, Peter and Lara Jean face the first semester of their junior year as a couple and all the excitement and challenges a new relationship brings.This is the first sequel toSucker
Relationships: Peter Kavinsky/Lara Jean Song-Covey
Series: Happiness Begins [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2160675
Comments: 121
Kudos: 120





	1. Facing the Squad

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back! 
> 
> Once again thank you for all the incredible comments and love for part one of this epic story. As I pulled the pieces of this one together I realized that I have written a LOT for this universe. It will be interesting to see how many of you stick around until the very end 😉
> 
> The theme of **Sucker** was two people falling for each other so it follows that the theme of part two is how the relationship starts to form - where are the strengths and what are the weaknesses - and how do our favorite couple navigate it all?
> 
> I hope you enjoy this leg of Lila and Pete's journey 💕 Let's pick up right where we left off...

They escape the heat and noise of the party and make a dash for the Jeep. It’s starting to rain, and Peter has no idea where they are going but he is thrilled they are alone together in the car again. “Where should we go?” he asks.

“I don’t even care – it’s just good to be back here. I’ve missed this seat” she pats the cushion, “I missed you” she looks over at him as he’s starting the car and he smiles and leans over to kiss her.

“I missed you so much Covey, driving anywhere without you made me sad. I even snapped at Tommy yesterday when he tried to adjust the sun visor a different way – I told him to leave it how you like it.”

She giggles, “It was only three days, not even three full days and we were a mess!”

He pulls out onto the street, “let’s not do that again, please. It sucked.”

“Peter, I’m so sorry about how I handled Eloise and what I said to you. I trust you – I’ve trusted you for a long time, I apologize for letting my worst instincts take over for even a second.”

He reaches to her lap and leaves his open palm on it and she presses hers against it, “you’ve been cheated on Lara Jean, it fucks with your head, believe me, I know. But just keep trusting me, I’d never do that to you… _ever_ ” he squeezes her hand and she sighs.

“I know. I will work on telling that shitty voice in my head to shut up.”

“I’ve got one of those too. Maybe they could talk to each other and leave us out of it.” They drive a little bit farther and he spots a 24-hour convenience store. “You know – ever since my birthday I’ve been craving more Hostess cupcakes.”

“How lucky there’s a store open right _here_!” she exclaims, and he laughs.

“Let’s get some ‘make it official’ cupcakes, sound good?”

“Sounds incredible.”

**

In true Lara Jean fashion, her room is still kind of a disaster but he could not care less because he’s in her bed and she’s his girlfriend and they are talking and kissing and laughing and he loves her so much that in this moment, he fully understands the concept of _walking on air_.

“Tell me what happened with Chex tonight” he prompts and she rolls her eyes.

“Oh he was _the worst_. First he acted like we were still together and I had ‘misunderstood’ our status. When that didn’t work he tried to convince me you were the bad guy, and he actually thought that he was giving me some sort of free pass for hooking up with you and that he was going to be gracious enough to _forgive me for it_.”

“What piece of shit” Peter scowls.

“So I told him he was liar and I knew he cheated on me and then I threatened to pour a pitcher of ice water all over him.” She grins and Peter bursts out laughing then leans in to kiss her forehead.

“I wish I had seen that! Too bad nobody filmed it.”

“The girls wanted to believe me they were ready to take him down.”

“I know I haven’t met them all yet, but I already like them for how much they love you and are willing to go to bat for you.”

“Well you are already have a thousand points with them because you are not Charlie.” She kisses him and he pulls her closer can’t help the moan he makes when she breaks the kiss so that she can give him a series of soft little pecks all over his face and mouth. “Let’s not talk about him ever again” she murmurs between the brush of her lips.

Peter nods and pulls her on top of him and loves the little squeal she makes, “never. The only thing I want to talk about is what nights we’ll be spending here and what nights we’ll be at my place because I do not want to sleep alone ever again when I could be sleeping with you.” She’s looking at him with a half-smile, “what” he traces his fingertip over the dimpled curve of her cheek, “is this look about?”

“It’s cute that someone who was so anti-relationship is now so into being a boyfriend.”

His finger slides down to her chin and he tilts her face to his, “I was just waiting to be _your_ boyfriend. I wasn’t ready to settle for anything less than perfection.” He gives her a slow kiss, letting the intensity he feels for her flow to her in the crush of their mouths. “And you are _perfect_ – my perfect girl.”

**

He finally gets a good night’s sleep with her back in his arms and when he wakes up, he has a ton of notifications about his big scene at the party last night from friends cheering him on and tags from videos that have shown up online. He puts his phone down and nuzzles the top of Lara Jean’s head and she sighs and squirms tighter next to him.

He knows from experience that she is not going to be awake for at least another hour, so he decides to surprise her on the first morning of their official relationship with a breakfast surprise. He carefully slides her onto her back and slips out of her bed.

Out in the commons he finds a blonde woman in a robe on the couch sipping coffee. She looks up and gives him a quiet round of applause. “That was quite the declaration last night.”

He grins, “it was long overdue, so…” he shrugs. “I’m just happy it worked. I’m sorry this is really awkward, but which roommate are you?”

“I’m Hailey” just then the door to the bathroom opens and Brooke walks out and seeing Peter she comes over and tells him good morning before she exchanges a look with Hailey and sits down. They both look at Peter, “have a seat,” Brooke motions for him to sit.

He glances at the two of them, “I was going to go get breakfast for Lara Jean.”

“We all know she’s not getting up anytime soon – you have time” Brooke says.

“Ladies” he says as he sits, “why do I feel like I’m about to be interrogated?”

“We’re very nice Peter” Hailey starts.

“Very nice” Brooke adds. “But we’ve just spent nearly two years dealing with Charlie Cotter and his bullshit we’re definitely not letting Lara Jean go through that again and if you fuck this up, we’re not going to be very nice.”

“Are you friends with him?” Hailey asks.

“I know him through my roommate Tommy – but I already told him that Chex…I mean, Charlie – isn’t welcome at our place – at least not while I’m there and never when Lara Jean is.”

The women look at each other and back to him. “Did you sleep with Eloise Mitchell?” Brooke asks.

“Nope” he shakes his head. “She lied to get back at me for telling her I was involved with Lara Jean. Look, I’m not going to hurt her. I get why you’re so protective and I know you don’t know me, but I promise you will learn to trust me.”

Hailey leans forward, “you’ve made a good impression so far and we want to like you Peter, so don’t mess with our girl and we’ll all be good.”

He nods, “you have my word…can I” he thumbs towards the door, “go get your girl some breakfast?”

“Are you coming back?” Brooke narrows her eyes and he laughs.

“How about this – one of you come with me and the other one stay and tell Lara Jean where I’ve gone if she wakes up before I’m back. Sound good?”

Brooke stands up, “I’ll go. I need some stuff anyway. Are we going somewhere good?”

Peter grins, “anywhere you want to go.” He nods at Hailey, “see you soon.”

**

When Peter and Brooke get back Lara Jean is still asleep, and Neeta is up curled on the couch against Hailey.

“Hi, I’m Peter” he introduces himself to her and offers his hand. Her eyes widen as she reaches from under her blanket throw.

“Wow. This is very formal for a Hangover Saturday” she rasps.

Brooke comes over, “Hailey is Miss C and Neeta is Miss D” she tells Peter, referring to their rooms in the suite.

He nods, “got it. So, does the squad want some breakfast?” he goes to their kitchenette. “We’ve got fresh bagels, chocolate croissants and…” he starts pulling out packs of cereal and waves his hand over them like he’s revealing a magic trick.

“He won’t say what this is all about” Brooke gestures to the mini boxes Peter has lined up on their counter next to cartons of milk and almond milk, “but he swears LJ is going to love it.”

“Speaking of,” Peter smiles, “I’m going to see if I can rouse Sleeping Beauty.”

**

He slips back into the bed and brushes the hair away from her face. Dusting her cheeks with soft kisses she starts to wake up, “mmmm…hi” she sighs, “good morning.”

“Good morning beautiful.”

She gives a little smile as her eyes flutter open, “am I going to hear that every morning?”

“Maybe” he brushes his nose against hers, “some mornings I may call you gorgeous or brilliant or sexy.”

She giggles, “I can get used to that.”

“I hope so because as mentioned last night, I intend on waking up with you every morning that I can.”

“I can get used to that too” she reaches for him and rests her hand against his chest, “why are you dressed? When did you get up?”

“Little over an hour ago. I have a surprise for you, but you have to get out of bed to get it.”

She makes a little pout, “it’s Saturday I don’t want to get up…you get back in” she runs her hands over his chest, “take these clothes off and come back to bed.”

“That is _such_ a tempting offer Covey, but it’s time to get up and I promise I’ve made it worth your while.”

She sighs, “this better be good Kavinsky.”

**

“Oooohh!” she squeals when she sees the row of cereal options, “is it a Kavinsky Classic Breakfast Cereal Power Bowl?” The girls have come over and Lara Jean starts to explain the concept to them as Peter pokes around for bowls. “The key is to spontaneously pick and not get hung up on thinking too much about what goes together.” Peter grins as he hears her giving the same advice he gave her. “I know it sounds disgusting – and honestly, sometimes it _is_ disgusting, but most of the time it is surprisingly good.”

Brooke is game and Neeta grabs a plain bagel and lays back down on the couch to nibble it, while Hailey agrees to try everyone else’s. The morning becomes boisterous and silly and Lara Jean could not be happier to have four of her favorite people all chatting and laughing and getting to know each other. _This is going to be a great year_ , she thinks to herself as Peter catches her eye and gives her a wink.


	2. Lara Jean has Entered the Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter is all in with the Covey Family and he and Lara Jean acknowledge their social lives are taking a backseat to their sex life.
> 
> This is the first sequel to [**Sucker**](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29412054/chapters/72255891)
> 
> 🚨🚨Smut Ahead!!🚨🚨

Lara Jean gets back from the shower to find Peter chatting on FaceTime. It’s only when he’s finished speaking that she recognizes the voice on the other end as her dad.

She points to the phone and makes a _hello???_ face and Peter gestures her over, “Hey, here’s Lara Jean.”

“Hi dad…aaaand Trina…hey there. What’s going on?”

“Hi honey! Peter was just catching us up about how hard you’ve been working on your Comparative Media project. How is it going?” She answers their questions and Peter teases Trina who giggles like a teen girl with a crush, and then she and her dad have to head out to a dinner, and everyone exchanges farewells and Peter ends the call.

“You FaceTime my dad without me?” she looks at her boyfriend, “and his girlfriend?” He looks up at the ceiling feigning innocence, “and Kitty? Do you FaceTime my whole family?”

“Just this one time! You did call them my fan club” he says with a laugh. “And I like them. Your dad is cool and Trina is a sweetheart and you know I love that sassy little sister of yours.”

She rolls her eyes, “Trina would leave my dad for you if you asked. Like, instantly.”

Peter wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her closer to him, “good to know if I ever decide I want to satisfy any Hot Older Woman fantasies.”

“Ugh!” she pushes playfully against his chest, “you are the worst.”

He squeezes her tighter and starts peppering her face with kisses, “I am the best and you love me, and your family _really_ loves me and let’s just untie this robe here” he starts tugging at her tie, “and satisfy my Hot Girlfriend fantasies.”

“I thought you wanted to go to the party?” she giggles as he pushes her robe apart, “aren’t your friends expecting us?”

He maneuvers her on to her back and brushes his hand over her collar bone and between her breasts and she shudders and reaches up for his face. “They can wait. But I can’t…” his hand travels over her belly and grazes her hip bone before slipping down between her legs, “can you wait?” he murmurs with his voice low.

She sighs and shakes her head as he gently parts her legs, “I don’t mind being late” she murmurs, her head pressing back onto the bed as his fingers start to tease, making her bear down into his touch.

“We don’t even have to go” he shifts himself to get his torso lower to her body, “we can stay here…be alone…” his head dips towards where he is getting her wet, “your friends are out…so we can get loud.” He kisses the inside of her thigh and she starts whimpering. “But, I mean, if you want to go…” he shifts so he can press his face into her, his tongue tracing a languorous path around her clit, “we can go” his breath hot as he props her hips up so he can watch her as he goes down on her.

She’s shaking her head and moaning, her words and hands urging him on as her mind races through the first time they did this when they first hooked up on the road. Since then she was hooked – obsessed with how turned on it got them and how eager he was to please her this way at even the slightest hint that’s what she wanted. Plus, there was the not insignificant fact that he was mind-blowingly _great_ at it. Initially she was mad at Charlie for denying her something so amazing for so long, but then she realized she was grateful she’d never shared that sort of intimacy with him. One that encouraged trust that they didn’t have and mutual respect they didn’t share.

She’s distracted by the vibration of Peter’s phone somewhere on her bed and he gives it a sharp shove away from them and keeps kissing and lapping at her until she spins tightly and then unspools in an explosive shudder and wail. He works his way back up her body and she is laughing by the time he reaches her face.

“Uh…not sure if I’m loving this review Covey” he cracks.

“I was just thinking how many social events we’ve missed this semester because we’re busy doing stuff like this.”

Peter licks her off his lips and smirks, “I’d much rather do this than stand around a keg.”

She caresses his face and lifts hers to give him a deep kiss and he groans into her mouth, “I like how I taste on you” she sighs making him groan even deeper, “how do you taste?” Peter reaches down for his zipper and Lara Jean lets him undo his pants and pull his cock out and she brushes soft kisses over his lips, “is that for me?”

“Yes, fuck yes” he moans as she meets his hand and he moves it away for hers.

“How lucky am I” she muses as she travels down his body and slithers her grip along his length enjoying how he’s shuddering at her touch, “so, so lucky…” flicking her tongue over the tip she loves giving him a slow build-up and the feeling of having him completely at her mercy. He starts giving her his tells – his breathing shallower and his body tensed, the fingers tangled in her hair throbbing against her scalp – and then he gives in wholly and loudly and she rests her head on his stomach as he comes back down.

The phone vibrates again and Peter ignores it and pulls her up to rest in the crook of his shoulder. “It’s impossible to ever want to get out of a bed that you are in” he murmurs into the top of her head.

She nods, “Same.” Some nights she insists they sleep at their own places because she has an exam or he has training early the next day and she knows they won’t want to leave the bed. “Who is messaging you so much?”

“Probably just the boys. Fuck em” he nuzzles her hair. “Let’s cuddle up and watch a movie.”

“Really?” she says, “you’re fine with skipping the party?”

“I think I just proved that I am very fine with skipping the party Lara Jean. I’ll skip _all_ the parties to play with you.” He gives her a naughty eyebrow raise and she laughs.

“We’ve killed each other’s social lives, you know that, right?”

He sits up and shrugs, feeling around to finally look at his phone, “You’re my social life. And your family – obviously” he smirks at her and she shakes her head.

“Maybe one day I’ll even be allowed on your Covey Family Group Chat.”

He shrugs with a smile, “maybe, but I’d have to call a meeting of my fan club and take a vote. So, sorry but no promises!” he teases and she tries to retaliate by smacking him with a pillow that he blocks with one hand.

“One day I’m going to find at least _one_ thing they don’t adore about you” she pulls her robe closed.

“Have _you_ found one yet?” He grabs the robe lapel and pulls her back into him as she giggles, “didn’t think so!” He does a dual attack of tickling her sides and mouthing against her neck until she is a squirming, laughing, adorable mess in his arms.


	3. Practice Safe Sex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lara Jean makes a decision and she and Peter take a smart step into the next level of their relationship.
> 
> This is the first sequel to [**Sucker**](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29412054/chapters/72255891)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK I don't know if you're all still anxious from "invisible string" or what - but Peter's texts in chapter 2 were exactly what he said - his friends bugging him about coming to the party! Almost every comment was worry about the messages he was ignoring and it was so wild because it never crossed my mind anyone would think twice about them! 
> 
> Anyway, it's not a family emergency or Eloise trying to stir things up or anything like that - he's just in his little Sex Haze Love Bubble and his friends are trying to get him to hang out once in awhile 😉 (your concern for these characters is truly endearing so thank you for caring so much about them!)

“I’ve been talking to my dad and I’ve decided to go on the pill.”

Peter looks up from his laptop, “you’ve been _what_?”

“He’s an OB GYN, Peter” she says as she pages through her notes – they are studying at his apartment on a rainy Saturday. “He always told us we can talk to him about it, so I did.” She looks at him and he’s staring at her and she laughs, “are you blushing?”

“I just…now he knows we’re having sex.”

She nods with another laugh, “I didn’t go into specifics but he probably assumed that since we are you know, legally adults who are in a committed relationship that we do have sex.”

“Right, right. Was he mad?”

“Mad?” She puts her notebook down and rotates herself to face him, “no, he was happy I was asking his advice and proud of us for being responsible. And he recommended something that I would like us to do.” Peter’s eyes widen and she giggles and rubs his arm, “wow this has really wound you up, huh?”

He blows out a breath, “I mean, it makes sense. I’m glad you have the kind of relationship where you can have that conversation. Sorry if I’m being weird – I can get over it.” He leans in and gives her a kiss, “so what do you want to do?”

Her face gets serious, “get tested and make sure neither of us have any STDs or HIV or anything like that. I want to make appointments for us to go do that together – if you’re willing.”

Peter shuts his laptop and takes her hands, “of course. I’ve always been safe but yeah, better to make sure.”

She nods, “me too but you never know…” her voice fades and he knows they are both thinking of Charlie and how he messed around on her. “And so here’s the thing – once we know we are both in the clear and the pill has had time to take effect, we can stop using condoms.” She loves the huge grin that breaks across his handsome face, just as she knew it would when she shared this news.

“That” he reaches over and pulls her into his lap, “is a _very_ exciting development” he kisses her, and she wraps her arms around his shoulders.

“You like that?” she murmurs against his lips and he answers her with a series of soft little pecks and a happy moan. “I thought you might,” she grins before going in for a deeper kiss, “I’m pretty damn excited about it myself.”

* * *

“Where’s Peter?” Trina asks on FaceTime, “tell him to come say hi!”

“Yeah,” her dad calls from behind her where he’s prepping for dinner, “we haven’t seen his handsome face in a while.”

Lara Jean rolls her eyes, “hold on let me tell him his fan club are requesting his presence.” He’s laying back on the bed with his airpods in and she waves her hand at him, and mouths _come over here_.

Peter blushes again – she knows he’s avoiding her dad because of her birth control conversation with him, but he does take the airpods out and runs a hand through his hair before sliding around behind her with a smile on his face.

“There he is!” Tri exclaims, “Dan,” she turns, “come say hi.” Her dad – who was cutting vegetables when it was just her – comes right up to the phone as soon as Peter is on the call and she gives Peter a gentle elbow to the ribs. Her family’s adoration of him now a running joke between them.

She ends up handing the phone to him and slipping off the bed. Whatever apprehension Peter had disappears as he explains a lacrosse rule to her dad (who now follows the sport because of Peter) and talks recipes with Trina. Brushing her hair out in the mirror she can see that Peter’s eyes are flickering up to watch her before darting back to the phone. She turns and makes sure she has his attention before pulling the drawstring of her comfy pants and then stepping out of them with a smirk.

“Uhhhh” Peter stalls on whatever he was saying, as she bites her lip then comes closer to the bed but stays out of his reach. “I think, um, yeah adding some fresh thyme sounds…yeah.” Tri doesn’t seem to notice his attention has drifted and is chattering on about emailing him a website to get reasonably priced kitchen knives. Lara Jean stretches her arms up over her head in a sensual yawn and Peter’s eyes follow as the hem of her shirt rises up exposing her belly and tries to surreptitiously grab for her but she hops on to the bed on her knees and from the other side of the phone she does a little wave that says _bye bye_.

“Hey, guys – we have a thing to get to – uh” Peter swallows hard and she quietly giggles, “but I’ll definitely check out that site Tri” Lara Jean holds out her hand and he gives her the phone and she switches back into good daughter mode and sends her love and reminds her dad to respond to the message from the bursar’s office and there are a flurry of goodbyes and I love yous and then they are alone.

“What am I going to do with you?” Peter growls as he grabs her phone and tosses it out of reach. He advances on her and grips her bare thighs, “you naughty, naughty girl.”

She flips her hair back and leans forward, “I feel like I need to remind you who your favorite member of my family is” she coos as she rubs her nose against his.

“It is definitely…” he moves his hands up higher “…the one who strips for me. And in case you didn’t know – you’re my favorite person in any family,” he kisses her, “my favorite person on this campus” working over to her ear she squirms at his scruff against her neck, “my favorite person in the entire world, actually” he nuzzles her neck and she drops her head back and runs her hands into his hair.

“I love when you sweet talk me, Peter Kavinsky.”

* * *

They are sitting in the Jeep outside the clinic each holding the envelopes with their test results. “Are we gonna open together or take turns? You want me to go first?” Peter looks at her and she is biting the inside of her cheek, “don’t be nervous Lara Jean, whatever it is will be OK. And if it’s not – we’ll make it OK.”

She nods, “I know. I’ve just never gotten a test like this before and it feels – I don’t know, I’m sure it’s fine. Let’s just open at the same time and get it over with.”

“Right, deep breaths” he instructs and they inhale together, “aaaand…open!” He tears his envelope and she pulls at hers slowly. “Here we go…” he’s already looking down his sheet while she’s just pulling hers out. He grins as he reads _negative_ along each column but keeps his mouth shut until she’s read through hers. “How we doing Covey?” he glances at her and she’s running her finger over the paper but her face betrays nothing. He starts nervously jiggling his leg because if she has tested positive for something and he hasn’t he is going to drive straight back to campus to hunt down fucking Chex and slam him into a wall.

Finally she blows out a breath, “I’m good! Are you good? What’s yours say?” she turns to him and he grabs her and answers with a passionate kiss. When she breaks away she’s giggling, “that seems like good news.”

“ _Great_ fucking news” he grins, “I’ve never been so thrilled to fail a bunch of tests in my life.”

“Me too” she sighs, “it says we should do this annually, even if we’re in a _committed and monogamous relationship_ ” she reads from the letter, “so, meet you back here in a year?”

“It’s a date. I think we should celebrate with ice cream, yeah?”

She squints at him, “I thought you were going to say sex, it seems like that would be the appropriate way to celebrate this sort of thing.”

He starts the engine and grins at her, “ice cream and then sex – did I not mention the very hot sex after the ice cream?”

“You didn’t” she smirks at him as she snaps her seatbelt, “and I want a sundae.”

“Yes ma’am” he takes her hand and kisses it as he pulls out of the parking lot, “this kinda feels like a banana split sort of celebration if we’re being honest.”


	4. Pete and Lila

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Lara Jean have a heated reunion after an unplanned week apart.
> 
> This is the first sequel to [**Sucker**](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29412054/chapters/72255891)
> 
> 🚨🚨Smut ahead!!🚨🚨

She was supposed to come over Sunday, but she had a paper to finish. Monday, she had dinner with her Korean Students club. Tuesday, she fell asleep at 6:30 and woke up after he’d gone to bed. Wednesday, she had a test to study for. Thursday was her Girls Night so when he opens the door on Friday to find her holding a box of pizza and a bottle of wine, he wants to sulk that it’s been almost a week, but he’s so happy to finally see her and he’s way too horny to fake being upset for very long.

She smiles brightly, “to make up for being a terrible and neglectful girlfriend I come bearing Sergio’s” he takes the box from her, “and good wine, not cheap stuff!” he wraps her up in his arms to kiss her. “Mmmm” she sighs, “I thought you’d be mad at me.”

“I am mad at you” he nuzzles her neck and kisses her softly a few more times.

“These don’t feel like angry kisses, Peter” she breathes.

“No?” he slides his hand over her back and under her hair to hold her neck.

“Nooo…hey, I’m sorry this week has been so crazy.”

“It’s OK. You’re here now.”

“It’s not really OK,” she is feeling her body get warmer and looser with each brush of his hands and touch of his lips, “I’ll make it up to you.”

“Yeah, you will” he grins as he gives her a small spank and she giggles.

“Your pizza is getting cold. It’s an Ultra Supreme. C’mon, let’s eat.”

He reluctantly releases her and she takes his hand and leads him to the kitchen.

**

“How was your week?” she asks before taking a bite of pizza.

“Sucked. Missed my girl.”

She gives him a loving roll of her eyes, “besides that? And it’s not like we didn’t see each other at all – we had lunch together and I saw you at your game and we FaceTimed every day.”

He narrows his eyes, “not the same.”

She exaggerates a pouty lip at him, and he reaches over and tugs it making her squeal. He takes a sip of wine and says, “I miss being on the road with you. All that glorious, uninterrupted time together. Just us. I miss being alone with you, Covey.”

“We’re alone together a lot, Peter. I think you’re being a little dramatic” she teases before looking around, “we’re alone now. Where’s the T-Team?”

“Tommy is at a party and Tony is out with Greta – for the night” he gives her a look.

“See? All alone. Just Pete and Lila having dinner and a sleepover like the old days” she cups his cheek and he laughs.

“Ahhh, yesss my wife is back” he jokes.

“If you miss the road so much, I can go get my Wal-Mart ring and we can go to a bar – tell everyone we eloped and see if we can score some free drinks” she laughs at his violent head shaking response.

**

She’s trying to do the dishes, but he’s pressed behind her brushing her hair off her neck and kissing along it making it hard to finish what she’s doing. “I’m almost done” she says and he gives her a bite. “Ow! You’re being very distracting” she scolds.

He ignores her and slides his hands from around her waist to spin her so she’s facing him, her back against the sink edge with the water still running. “We’re done here” he murmurs and leans down as if he’s going to kiss her, but instead moves to turn off the faucet behind her. She feels her breath catch and holds up her wet hands, unsure where the towel even is. “Here,” he pulls out the hem of his t-shirt in the small space between them, “use this.”

She wrinkles her nose at him, “then your shirt will be wet.”

His eyes glint as he tugs the shirt off over his head, “problem solved.”

**

She’s moving too slow for his taste, so he picks her up and takes her to his bedroom, laying her down and hovering above her as he unzips her hoodie. She runs her fingers over his face and urges his lips to hers murmuring, “I missed you too.”

His hand moves under her shirt and up to her bra, his fingers brushing at the edge over the satin causing her to make a soft little sigh. He presses down against her and they start to kiss and he cups her, strumming his thumb over the exposed skin the way he knows she likes. They undress quickly and slide under the covers and she’s making hungry little whimpers and tilting her hips up to his and as much as he wants to be inside her, he wants her to know what it’s like to have to wait.

“You were supposed to come over Sunday” he whispers as he positions the tip of his cock against her and as she rises to take him in, he retreats just enough to make her hiss.

“I know” she is almost breathless, “I’m sorry” she moans, and he slowly presses into her, just enough to make her gasp and grab his hips to urge him in deeper.

“You didn’t come Monday either” he slides further, and she writhes beneath him, desperately trying to get friction started. He circles his hips around just slightly enough for her to feel like he’s about to give in to her – but he stills and keeps her hanging. “Not Tuesday,” he thrusts deeper and she cries and arches up. “Or Wednesday…” he starts fucking her so slowly and deliberately that she is already raking her nails over his back and panting.

“Thursday…nothing…” he pulls back so he’s almost fully out and she wails so desperately that he shudders trying to control himself from grinding himself deeply into her. He reaches down and guides himself over her clit again and again, as her moans get louder, her eyes squeeze shut tighter.

“I hate you right now” she manages to get out between hisses of breath.

“We can stop” he grins and goes still and her eyelids snap open.

“Don’t you _dare_ ” her eyes are glittering and she licks her lips, “I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll never, _ever_ ” she punctuates each word with a thrust to pull him in deeper, “ever do it again.” Her hands press into his ass and she feels so fucking good and he’s waited so damn long that he’s done teasing her.

**

“You are mean” she says as they lay next to each other trying to catch their breath and glistening with perspiration.

“I’m _mean_?” he laughs, “I just made you come like that and I’m _mean_?!”

She punches him in the arm weakly, “you know what I’m talking about! Teasing isn’t nice.”

He rolls over and brushes his hand along her belly and down lower until she shudders at the sensitivity. “You loved the payoff though.”

She rolls her head to face him, “I admit nothing” and he laughs.

“You don’t have to, I heard all the screaming.”

“You can lay here and gloat but I’m going to defrost some cookies. And when you’re done congratulating yourself on your bedroom skills, go get the TV and the blanket ready.” She leans over and kisses him, “got it?”

He nods, “you’re the best Lila, you know that?”

She raises her eyebrows, “I’ve had a few creepy men in western dive bars tell me that, yes.”

“Hey” he tugs her back on to the bed, “you’re staying over, right?”

She nods, “you’re stuck with me until at least tomorrow night when we’re all supposed to go see that band. Think you’ll be able to share me by then?”

Peter rolls out his lower lip and makes puppy dog eyes, “I guess so, if I have to.”

“You have to” she slides off the bed out of his reach and starts gathering her clothes and getting dressed, “but I have an idea for fall break I think you’re going to like a lot.”

He sits up, “you do? What is it?”

“I’m working on it,” she twists her hair up in a messy topknot, “so right now it’s a plan and you’ll have to wait until it advances to a surprise.” She tosses Peter his t-shirt and he slips it over his head and jumps up and wraps his arms around her waist.

“No hints?” She shakes her head, “c’mon – just one little hint?”

“No!” she squirms in his arms then pauses for a second and relents, “OK just one – karaoke.”

His face scrunches up, “are we entering a contest?”

“That’s your one little hint!” She pushes against his chest and he releases her, “trust me Pete, you’re gonna love it.”


	5. Honeymoon Redux

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lara Jean uses her karaoke prize money to treat Peter to a mid-semester romantic getaway.
> 
> This is the first sequel to [**Sucker**](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29412054/chapters/72255891)
> 
> 🚨🚨Smut ahead!!🚨🚨

It’s only a 45-minute drive from Brown’s campus in Providence to the posh coastal town of Newport on the Rhode Island coast, but that doesn’t dim Peter’s enthusiasm. “I’m so excited,” he says as he drives, “a mini road trip to a weekend with my girl at a luxury hotel _and_ she’s paying!”

Lara Jean reaches over and drops her hand on the back of his neck and gently massages him, teasing her fingers up into his hair. “I couldn’t use my karaoke winnings on boring stuff like books! Had to be something special for my fake husband on our first fall break together.”

Peter hums with pleasure, pressing his head back to feel her touch on him. “I hope you brought your ring because I want to play honeymoon with you again.”

She laughs and gives his hair a tug, “so you’re saying we’re not leaving our room again for two days?”

“That’s _exactly_ what I’m saying Covey” he glances at her with a sexy grin.

**

The stairs from the living area of their small suite are too narrow for a traditional carry – so he pulls her giggling over his shoulder and marches them up to the loft where a massive bed under a skylight awaits them. Putting her down on the bed he wastes no time crawling over her and pressing himself down against her, feverishly kissing her neck and stroking along her thigh.

“Oh…wait” she gasps after a few minutes and he pauses his kisses but doesn’t move from where he is, “I think I left my phone in the Jeep.”

“It’s not that cold out, it’s fine” he continues his journey moving his mouth down and his hand up.

“No, I need it now” she puts her hands on his shoulders, “Kitty has a big chemistry test today I promised I’d check in about it.”

Peter groans and collapses on her, “fiiiiiiiiine. I’ll go get it” he sits up and gives her a tickle, “but only because I am a Kitty Covey fanboy. But don’t move off this bed, hear me? I’m coming back to finish what I started!”

“I promise.” She says solemnly, “thank you” she kisses the tip of his nose and then gently nudges him off the bed.

**

“One iPhone, coming up” he yells as he runs up the stairs where, at the top in front of the bed he finds Lara Jean with her hair loose wearing his red flannel shirt. She’s got a hip cocked and a hand on it and her expression can only be described as sultry. “Well, fuck me” he growls as he runs his gaze over her slowly and meets her eyes, “I think I’ve been played.”

She gives him a sexy little shrug and holds out her hand. “Thank you honey” she says but she doesn’t even look at the phone, just slides it to silent and drops it on the bench across from the bed.

“Did Kitty even have a test?” he takes a step closer to her and she does that shrug again and he feels his mouth start to water for her, “did you steal this shirt from me?” He’s in front of her and pinches the collar between his fingers and tugs it.

“I _borrowed_ it” she purrs, “for a very good reason.”

“And what reason is that?” Peter’s fingers come to rest at the top button, and he lets the heel of his hand graze her breasts and loves the catch in her breath in response.

“This reason” she takes his other hand and places it under the hem of the shirt which hangs past her hip. She presses it into her bare skin, and he shudders at the realization. “Last time I wore this you were disappointed I had my pajamas on underneath it. Is this better?”

He moves his hand to her waist and around to her back then down over her ass where he cups her cheek and pushes her against his now very hard cock. “Mmm hmm” he moves his hips into her a few times and watches the flush of heat rise from her chest up over her gorgeous face. “I think you want to be fucked right now.”

She nods her head like she’s in a daze and bites her lip, “yes, please.” He grabs her and lifts her to the bed where she pulls him down on top of her and starts going for his belt while he pulls his sweatshirt off. He realizes for the first time since he came back upstairs that there are candles lit by the bedside and she’s got her fake engagement ring on.

“I love you so much” he mumbles as she’s pushing his jeans down and opening her legs to him, “I’m going to make you come so many times this weekend.”

Her giggle is sexy and soft, “that’s what honeymoons are for, baby.” Her hand wraps around his aching cock and she strokes him against the inside of her thigh. “No roommates, or suitemates” Peter is starting to pant at what she’s doing to him with her hand, “no alarm clocks or early practices or late-night studying.” She’s lifted her head to kiss over his collarbone and teethe at his shoulder, “just Pete” she suckles at his neck, “and Lila” her mouth nuzzles under his ear, “just like our first time.”

She grazes the firm tip of him over the delicious heat between her legs and he moans and jerks forward for more – but his mind gives him a sharp jolt that they need a condom followed with the fact they don’t – the clinic and clean bills of health and Lara Jean going on the pill. In the motel in Illinois for their first time they were so driven by their animal instincts that they had started fucking without any protection. It felt dangerous and thrilling and they knew better, but both had trouble stopping themselves.

“But we don’t have to stop this time” she hums as her mouth finds his, “even though it was so, so good that first time when we wanted it so badly we didn’t care.” He nods, it’s like she’s reading his mind and coaxing him with her touch and what she’s doing to him with her mouth and sounds she’s making to show him how he makes her feel. “Fuck” he gasps as he pulls back then pushes himself deeper and the feeling is so intense – how her heat is clasping around him and she’s so wet for him he feels almost dizzy with desire, he’s still continually overwhelmed by the sensations of being inside her with nothing between them.

Still wearing his flannel Lara Jean is beginning to feel perspiration on her skin so she slips a hand between them and tries to undo the buttons and he looks down then easily undoes them with one hand and the shirt falls open. He growls at the sight of her exposed breasts – nipples taut and eager for his attention which he lovingly gives with pauses to kiss her, their tongues going deep and their mouths getting sloppy and more frantic. He takes her hand from his face and brings it down between where their bodies are connected, “touch yourself” he whispers and she blinks slowly and then does it, “that is so fucking beautiful” he groans.

She nods and he can feel her body tightening underneath him, her climax starting to tease around the edges of their bodies and he pulls her legs up to wrap around his hips and that opens her up deeper to him, which he takes advantage of – canting his hips in a slow circle and reversing a few times until she’s arching up and then she gasps, “no, no, not yet I don’t want to come…”

He pauses in confusion and makes eye contact with her, “you don’t? You’re so close baby, I can feel it…”

She shakes her head, “don’t move” she puts her hands on his hips to still him and he feels his whole body shaking with the pressure of not thrusting back into her. “I want this to last longer…it feels so incredible, I just want more.”

He nods his head, “can I stay here?”

“You better” her laugh is throaty and sounds dirty, “just don’t move for a few seconds, kiss me again.”

He never denies her a thing so he kisses her with little light baby kisses and teases with his tongue a few times and she loves it and every time his impulse is to continue fucking her she whispers, “not yet” and runs her hands over his back to soothe him.

Soon enough she wants more from his kisses but he is starting to like keeping her on this tightrope between denial and pleasure so he dodges all her attempts to deepen the kiss and she starts whining in hot little hiccups of breath and her desire melts down her body to her hips where she is the one who starts surging her body to his – she’s the one who snakes her legs back around him and when he looks in her eyes for a signal she pants a rapid _yes, yes, yes_.

**

Later when they are having dinner down at a little waterfront bistro, Peter’s eyes glimmer at her from across the candlelit table. “So,” he grins as he lifts an oyster to his mouth, “on a scale of 1-10, how did we like edging?”

She laughs and takes a sip of wine, “you were there, how would you rate my response?”

He tilts the oyster down his throat and licks the taste of brine off his lips, “off the fucking charts.”

She rests her face in her hand and sighs dreamily, “that is very accurate. It was _intense_.” She peers down at the platter of shellfish between them, “I feel like we are the last couple on earth who need oysters!”

Peter grins and lifts one to hold up to her lips and she purses them, “c’mon Lara Jean, just try it. You may like it.” She looks unconvinced but also can’t resist the rough and seductive register he’s dropped his voice to.

She parts her lips and lets him feed it to her – her eyes blinking fast as she swallows. “Ewwww…nope” she gulps her glass of water and when she’s done Peter reaches over and wipes some wet from the corner of her mouth.

“You don’t have to have any more” he slowly brushes the pad of his thumb over her lower lip and her long eyelashes flutter, “but we absolutely need to experiment with feeding each other some more because that was sexy as hell.”

She narrows her eyes but she’s blushing, “is there anything that doesn’t turn you on, Peter Kavinsky?”

Shaking his head he says, “when it comes to you? No, _everything_ about you turns me on.”

* * *

The next night they are passing by the fireplace outside the hotel bar when Lara Jean clutches Peter’s arm, “ooooh we can make s’mores!” There are trays laid out with all the makings and a few other guests holding marshmallows on long skewers over the flames. “Don’t they smell so yummy?”

He smiles and kisses the top of her head, “you’re adorable.” He releases her hand and reaches for two skewers and she starts filling a plate with chocolate and marshmallows and graham crackers.

“This is so fun!” she giggles as they stand in front of the fire, Lara Jean kneels so she can carefully watch her marshmallow brown, “I’ve never done this before.”

“What do you mean? Didn’t we used to do this in elementary school? Campfire Days or whatever they were called.”

She looks up at him, “I didn’t. I’ve used a culinary torch before but not actual fire.”

“What!” Peter gasps, “that is tragic. We’re gonna need to make more than one for you. You have a lot to catch up on.”

She smiles and holds up her marshmallow and he presses it between the crackers and a slab of dark chocolate and watches her lift it to her pretty bow lips and bite down. Her eyelids flutter and she moans, “oh this is amazing – this marshmallow has a hint of caramel in it!”

“Let me try” Peter dips his head down and she brings it to his mouth and he takes a bite and she grins as she watches him chew and the look of pleasure cross his face.

“Right?” she says, “I could stay here all night doing this.”

Peter licks his lips and shakes his head, “no way. We have one more night in our horny little love bubble and I intend to make the most of it.”

“I thought you liked feeding me” she flirts, “last night at dinner you said we should do more of it.”

“You sure know how to work a guy, Covey.”

She rises on her tip toes and gives him a sugary sweet kiss, “I know how to work _my_ guy.”

Blowing out a breath Peter says, “I’m making another one and we’re taking it upstairs and then we’re going to get _real_ sticky.” She nods her head as she sucks some melted marshmallow off her thumb and he shakes his head, “Lila” he says in a low voice that makes her body flush with heat.

“Hmmm?” she slowly pulls her thumb out of her mouth and enjoys how his eyes are pinned on her lips, “yes, Pete?”

“If we don’t go to our room in the next 30 seconds it’s going to get real porny in here for all these nice people and innocent kids to see.” She can’t help but laugh and he points to the fireplace, “so make your next s’more then get your cute ass upstairs to our room.”

“You’re lucky you’re so handsome because you’re awfully bossy” she smirks.

“I’m lucky for a lot of reasons” he comes behind her and wraps his arms around her as she roasts her marshmallow and with a kiss behind her ear murmurs, “you are reason number one.”


	6. Han Solo and the Green-Eyed Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At a Halloween party Lara Jean's reactions to Peter's interactions cause a dramatic confrontation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's just a _little_ dose of angst - you can take it - I know you can 😉

“I’m not doing my hair like that” Lara Jean points at the screen of her laptop, “does she have any other hair that’s _not_ that?” Peter has convinced her to be Princess Leia to his Han Solo for Halloween and they are scanning Google images to get ideas for her costume.

“That’s the most famous hair she has!” Peter gasps as he reaches for a lock of her hair and tries to roll it around into a cinnamon bun style on the side of her head. “That hair is iconic – everyone will know exactly who you are when they see it.”

She shakes her head to lose his hand, “I can still go as Dorothy from _The Wizard of Oz_ , I don’t have to do _Star Wars_ with you.”

“OK, OK” Peter groans, “fine, how about…” he taps on her keyboard and a new set of images pop up, “…this?”

Her eyes widen at the photo then narrow as she turns to him, “have you lost your mind?”

“You have to admit her hair is better here,” he gives her a sly smile, “and your body would look sick in this.”

She shakes her head, “hi, it’s October in Rhode Island and you want me to wear a bikini top…what _is_ this thing??” She squints at the screen, “and a codpiece with a barely existent skirt? Ohmigod Peter, _no_.” She can feel his pout without even looking at him. “And then spend the night fending off gross drunk frat boys ogling me? No _thanks_.”

“Hey! No one would dare mess with my Rebel Princess” Peter nuzzles her ear, “but don’t worry Covey, I’m just playing with you. You don’t have to wear that.” He gives her earlobe a little bite and she makes a squeal and gives him a half-hearted elbow to the ribs.

“I wish I had just gone to your Han Solo birthday parties when we were kids and gotten this over with” she snarks.

“Me too” Peter sighs, “but now you’ll get to see me in all my space smuggler scoundrel glory” he closes the laptop and moves it off her lap and presses her back down into the couch. “And you’re gonna go so wild for me when you do.” He starts to kiss up her neck and over her throat and she scoffs.

“Don’t flatter yourself, Kavinsky.” giggles.

* * *

But he was right. He looks incredibly hot in his tight pants and low-slung belt. The white Henley under his vest has a deep V down his chest and there’s some sort of leather strap bound around his thigh. It’s that final detail that she can’t quite tear her eyes from.

“What is this?” she reaches her fingers to run along it.

“It’s a holster” he tilts his hip so she can see the gun holster around the side of his thigh and she just nods her head, still fingering the strap on the front. He chuckles, “you have a thing for gun holsters, Covey?”

“I have a thing for this part” she hooks a finger over the top of the strap, “on you. It’s extremely sexy.”

She can see his breath change and his tongue darts out between his lips, “I really wanted to go to this party with you…” he glances down at her hand on his leg, “but now I really want to be alone with you.”

“We’re going!” she says loudly and releases him, “we skip too many things to be alone together and we need to leave our bedrooms occasionally! Not to mention, I spent over an hour getting this braid crown to look like this, I want to show it off.” She preens so he can admire her braiding handiwork.

“You look amazing Lara Jean” he pulls her into a hug, “thank you for doing this and I promise that next year I will go as anyone you want me to for Halloween.”

She laughs, “deal. Now let’s get going because after the party, I want the pleasure of taking that holster off you.”

**

She’s having a good time – there are people there she knows, and Neeta and Brooke show up as Betty and Veronica. Peter is drinking and flirty and she likes how he often has his arm wrapped around her, pressing her into him and leaning down to say things into her ear. He offers to go get her another drink and leaves her chatting with some friends from her freshman year dorm.

He takes a long time to return so she excuses herself and goes looking for him and it doesn’t take her long to find him talking to a gorgeous girl with legs as long as Lara Jean is tall – and most of them exposed in her Sexy Cowgirl costume. She freezes up momentarily and then shakes it off. Peter is her boyfriend and he loves her. It’s not the start of their road trip where she was bothered by his hook-up habits, or the party at his apartment after they got back to school and Eloise Mitchell tried to sabotage their burgeoning relationship with a lie about sleeping with him.

So, she walks up to them and slides her arm around her boyfriend’s waist and smiles right at the girl, “hey babe” she glances at Peter, “did you get our drinks?”

Peter grins at her and shakes his head, “sorry, I got stopped by Vanessa on my way” he nods his head at the tall sexy cowgirl, “we were hallmates last year.” Vanessa smiles at Lara Jean and she feels just a slight shiver of insecurity because the girl is supermodel gorgeous. “Van – this is my girlfriend, Lara Jean.” Something seizes in the pit of Lara Jean’s stomach. _Van_. He knows her well enough to call her by a nickname.

Vanessa smiles at Lara Jean but it feels faked. And she keeps talking to Peter and touching his arm and throwing her head back laughing and they both tower over her and it makes Lara Jean feels like she’s a kid lurking around two people on a date.

“Look, we gotta go, we gotta go” Peter says, “my princess needs her cocktail! Right, Covey?” he smiles down at her and she nods. Vanessa pulls out her phone to check she has Peter’s number and then she leans over and kisses him on the cheek before turning with a smug little wave at Lara Jean and disappearing back into the crowd.

**

She is dancing with Brooke and Neeta and she wants to get a selfie of them all so she goes to get her phone which is in her purse that she left with Peter, and finds him hanging out with two new girls in two more sexy costumes – there’s a Sexy Angel and a Sexy Secret Agent. He sees her and gives her a big smile, reaching for her and giving her a kiss before making introductions and telling his audience how they went to high school together but only got together on their road trip from home. She forgets their names the minute he tells her because tonight has pulled open something she’s been keeping at a distance since they made it official.

She asks him if they can go out for some air and he starts saying goodbye and one of the girls hugs him, but Lara Jean is marching him out before the other one has a chance to do the same.

“Woah…hold up, Covey!” Peter calls as they get out of the party, “Where’s the fire?”

“No fire,” except the one she feels starting to go out of control inside her. “It’s just hot in there. I wanted to go.”

“Do you want to go home?” he reaches for her arm and she shifts enough to miss his touch and his hand hangs in the air between them, “I can’t touch you? What the hell?”

She wraps her arms around herself and wills herself to not say anything here where anyone could walk by and witness the meltdown she feels coming on. But he seems genuinely confused and the way he’s looking at her makes her want to cry. “There’s just so many of them Peter, it’s hard. Knowing how you…operated before me…and think that every girl you talk to may be someone you…”

“Someone I…? What?”

She shakes her head, “please don’t make me say it.” She bites her lip and his eyes darken with realization.

“You think every girl I talk to is someone I’ve slept with?” She can hear the incredulity in his voice. “Lara Jean, please tell me you are not serious with this?”

“I’m trying to ignore it, OK? I know it’s in the past and we’re together now and I trust you…but sometimes I can’t ignore it. _Tonight_ I can’t ignore it because every minute there’s another half-dressed stunning girl around you and I hate it. I’m sorry, I know I sound stupid and jealous but there it is, I’m stupid and jealous and your past hook-ups bother me. I don’t want them to, but they do.”

Peter is quiet. His hand has dropped, and she almost wishes he’d start yelling at her because the silence feels suffocating. She turns to exit just to break the tension and he moves quickly to cut her off. “You’re not dropping that bomb and just taking off” he says, “listen to me – not every woman I talk to on this campus is someone I’ve had sex with. And I don’t know what crazy number you’ve got in your head that has convinced you that I fucked a majority of the girls at Brown, but your jealousy is giving me a reputation I definitely didn’t earn.”

She crosses her arms, “fine, then tell me your number.”

“My _number_?” Peter’s voice is horrified, “why are you acting like this? Nothing was going on with any of those girls tonight, I told all of them about you, I introduced you, I was affectionate with you in front of them. I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“My number is three” she blurts and she knows she is just throwing gasoline on something that is already smoldering but she can’t seem to find her edit button tonight. And she is really regretting those shots that Brooke insisted they all do. “Evan, the guy I lost my virginity to after high school, Charlie, and you. _Three_.”

Peter backs away from her and she knows she’s crossed a line. “I used to think your little jealous fits were cute, but this is really fucked up” he pulls out his phone and starts swiping and tapping. “We’re calling it a night before this gets even more out of control and we say stuff we can’t take back.”

“What are you doing?” she demands.

“Calling you an Uber,” he puts his phone in his pocket. “I think you should go home.”

“Are you staying?” she bites back a sob as he shakes his head.

“I’m not really in a party mood anymore after having my girlfriend lose her shit with me over things that happened before she was my girlfriend.” He opens the door and holds it as she exits. “I’ll wait til he gets here. I got you a pool so you won’t be alone with the driver.”

“You’ve been drinking” she murmurs, “you can’t drive home.”

“Oh, you sobered me up real fucking quick, Lara Jean.”

* * *

He slept for shit – the fight with Lara Jean replaying in his head as his mind races between anger with her, and confusion as to why girls he’d been with in his past should mean anything for them now. He’s in love with her and he’s devoted to her and he can’t fathom why that is not enough.

He finally falls into a sleep deep enough to have a dream that involves a playground game they used to play in school – except they are older, and Lara Jean keeps disappearing out of his view and when he calls for her, all he can hear is her sobbing hysterically.

The dream is stressing him out and he realizes he can wake himself from it which he does, at almost the same time he hears his bedroom door open and then shut softly. He opens his eyes and in the dim light can make out Lara Jean moving across his room. He watches her undress and take his lacrosse sweatshirt from the chair and slip it over her head.

He feels the bed shift slightly as she crawls into it and gets in next to him. The angry side of him wants to turn his back on her and let her know that all is not just forgiven. But the confused part yearns for the familiarity of her small body aligned with his. While he struggles to decide what to do, he feels her fingers slip into the palm of his hand. They are chilled from being outside and he can’t help himself from closing his fist to warm them up.

At that gesture he hears her exhale and she inches a little bit closer. “What time is it?” he whispers.

“6:42” she whispers back.

Peter’s eyelids snap open, “you’re up at 6:42 in the morning?”

“I also drove here.”

At that he turns his head to face her, “you drove here? Did you steal a car?”

She gives a half smile, “Brooke lent me hers.”

“The BMW? You drove a $57K car here _before_ 7AM?” She gives him a full smile, “OK, who are you and what have you done with my actual girlfriend??”

“Given what I put you through last night, the least I could do was get up early and pilot a luxury car over here to apologize.” She rises on her elbow and props her head up. “I love you” she says softly.

“I love you too,” he turns on his side to face her. “You ready to talk?”

She nods, “I’m so sorry for every stupid thing I said last night. I’ve never been a jealous person, but I think that’s because I’ve never had something – _someone_ , that I cared about so much that the thought of him with anyone else made me a little crazy.”

“So, you were never jealous of Gen” he says, “when you had a crush on me?”

She blushes, “right, sooo…maybe I’ve always had a jealous streak when it comes to you.”

“There’s nothing to be jealous of, Covey. I’m in love with you. The past is the past and it doesn’t even compare to what we have which is a relationship that is built on trust, and love and intense chemistry.”

She sighs, “I know that intellectually” she taps her head, “but here is just…” she taps her heart and screws her face up, “it wasn’t just last night. I find myself wondering when you mention a woman you had lunch with, or saw in the library, or grabbed a coffee with after class – is she one? And I don’t – I don’t even question that there is anything happening with them now like you’re flirting or cheating or anything. I trust you Peter, I know it didn’t sound like that last night, but I want you to know that I _do_ trust you. It’s just this bell that gets rung when you talk about a girl you’re friends with or I see what I saw at the party.”

Peter rubs his eyes, “I can’t stop being friends with every female I know because you suspect they are someone I once hooked up with. If I did, I’d be exactly the type of guy you accused me of being when I told you why I didn’t do relationships at the start of our road trip.”

“A fuckboy” she says softly with her eyes cast down.

“And I was never that. And yeah, some are my friends and I’m not a guy who dumps my friends because they’re inconvenient to him. And I can’t introduce you to them with a _hi, this is Becca, oh and, we had sex after homecoming freshman year_.”

“I know, I know. I think we’ve been so wrapped up in each other since we got together that it’s like this private little bubble we’re in and then when we’re out together at something like last night…” she sighs, “suddenly all these insecurities come rushing at me. And not to make excuses but taking shots of Patrón did not help matters at _all_.” She reaches for his face and then pauses as if she’s not sure she’s allowed to touch him. He takes her hand and brings it to rest on his cheek and he watches the relief fill her face. “I’ll work on it, I promise.”

“What can I do to help?”

She presses her face into his shoulder, and he hears her choke back a sob, “don’t be so nice! I was awful and need to get my shit together, it’s not you.”

“Hey,” he coaxes her back to face him, “we’re in this together Covey, right? This is _our_ relationship and if something isn’t working for one of us, we work together to make it right for both of us.” She looks at him and he brushes a tear off her cheek, “if it makes you feel any better, if you had gone with the Princess Leia space bikini get-up, I would have lasted all of five minutes before some guy said hi the wrong way and then I’d have punched him in his face.” She smiles and he presses his lips to her forehead, “there she is, there’s my sweet girl.”

Her arms go around his shoulders, “I hate green-eyed monster Lara Jean, I wish you didn’t ever meet her.”

He shrugs and kisses both her cheekbones then her nose, “I mean, it is a little hot when she’s just sort of a pale green, not like deep, emerald green, spitting out her sexual stats like there’s a million dollar prize for the highest number.”

“Aiiiighh!” she wails quietly and squeezes her eyes shut, “I’m _mortified_ that I said that! Please, please erase it from your brain!”

He kisses her softly on the lips, “I intend to keep your number at three…” her eyes flutter open.

“Oh yeah?”

He nods and kisses her again before rolling onto his back and sliding her against his chest. “Everyone knows the third guy’s a charm, Covey.”

She buries her face under his arm but he can feel her smile. “My apology tour isn’t over, you know” she says as brushes her fingers over his stomach, “I’m going to make you pancakes too – the sour cream ones you love. Because I also stopped at the market on my way here to get sour cream and eggs.”

“Wow!” the light is starting to seep in around his shades, “you’ve been on quite the early morning adventure.”

“I have” she says through a yawn, “maybe I need a little nap first though.”

He chuckles, “you know you’re going to have to make enough for the boys, right?” He hears her start to reply but she doesn’t finish as she drifts off to sleep, curled against him with his arm around her body, in his bed where she belongs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See? I knew you could do it! 
> 
> Oh and Google "Princess Leia Bikini" if you don't already know 😆


	7. Arrivederci

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lara Jean faces an unexpected opportunity and struggles with the impact it would have on her and Peter.

When she gets an email from the Office of International Programs to come by and fill out some forms she’s confused because she’s not going abroad. She stops in on her way to lunch to tell them that and is surprised when they hold out her acceptance to the spring semester writing program in Florence. She had applied months earlier and then forgotten about it with the ensuing semester, endless Charlie drama, summer travels with Margot and falling in love with Peter. She tells them she has to talk to her family about it before she accepts and makes a note of the deadline they give her in two days to confirm if she’s going or not.

She’s meeting Peter for lunch at the campus center and she shoves the packet into her bookbag before he gets there and lets herself get caught up in his excited chatter about how well he did on his econ exam.

“OK enough, I need to shut up about this test – sorry Covey, how’s your day been?”

She hedges answering and swirls her spoon through her soup. It’s not that she’s afraid of what he’ll say – she’s just not sure how she feels about it yet. If she wants to leave campus and her friends and her life here for five months. If she can bear leaving Peter. “I got some funny news today”

“Yeah? Tell me.”

She reaches into her bag and digs the folder out and slides it across the table at him. “Last semester I applied for this study abroad program in Italy and then forgot about the application because they had some sort of backlog. But…I got in.”

His eyes get big and he opens the folder and reads over her acceptance letter, “Holy shit, that’s incredible!” He pulls out the brochure and flips through, “Florence! Whoa, look at this…” he holds up a page with photos of lush landscapes and renaissance architecture. “That’s a dorm Lara Jean! _Daaaamn_!”

She did not expect this level of enthusiasm from him. Maybe some hesitation or an outright sulk at the thought that she’d even contemplate leaving him for that long. But he’s joyfully reading bits out loud to her and making excited comments.

“Well, I don’t know if I’m going yet” she announces and he looks up at her with a wrinkled brow. “I have until Friday to let them know.”

“Why would you not go? This sounds amazing.”

She shrugs and pushes away her bowl. “It’s just a lot and it’s far away and I don’t know if I want to anymore.”

Peter closes the brochure and she reaches for it and the folder and shoves them back in her bag. “Do you want your half?” she holds out their favorite massive chocolate chip cookie that the snack bar serves, and he silently reaches out and breaks a piece off. “Are you still making dinner tonight?” she asks with her forced cheer voice.

Peter nods as he slowly chews. “I was going to make pasta so the timing is really good” he says drily and she forces a smile and stands up.

“OK I have to go to Gender Studies, I’ll meet you at 4” she leans down and gives him a quick peck before she turns to leave. “Love you.”

“Love you too” he says as she’s walking away, “hey, Covey.”

She turns back around “yes?” again with the fake voice and she thinks she may cry.

He pauses as if he’s weighing what he should say before he shakes his head, “nothing, have a good class.”

**

The short drive from campus to Peter’s apartment is tense and by the time he is unlocking the door they are in a fight.

“Hey! mom and dad are home!” Tommy hollers from the couch where he and Tony are playing a videogame.

“…it’s five months…” Lara Jean’s voice is pinched, “with you here and me over 4,000 miles away.”

“There are planes. I can get on one.” Peter throws his backpack on the floor and the loud thud makes his roommates glance at each other in surprise.

“It’s expensive Peter! You can’t be flying back and forth to Italy all semester!”

“You’re going to Italy, LJ?” Tony pokes his head over the couch and Peter and Lara Jean don’t even look his way.

“Yes, she is” Peter says firmly.

“No, I haven’t decided!” Lara Jean is just a firm.

“Shit, mom and dad are fighting” Tony mutters as he sinks back down out of their view.

“I just want you to consider the reality of it, because right now I don’t think you are. It’s a long time to be apart when we’re still basically a new couple.”

Peter sounds exasperated, “this is an amazing opportunity that you have totally earned – you worked hard to get it and I can’t believe you may throw it away because of this.” He gestures between them and that was the wrong thing to do because Lara Jean blows up.

“ _This??_ ” she hisses, “you mean our _relationship_??”

The boys give each other a look and nod in unison. “We’re just gonna…goooo grab some food” they fumble for their coats and slip out the door unnoticed.

“Whoa, wait, hold up I didn’t mean it that way.” Peter put his hands up, “you heard that as me saying our relationship isn’t important to me – and it is, you _know_ it is. I meant that we’re strong enough to be able to handle you being away for a semester.”

“Are we?”

Peter stares at her, “what is _that_ supposed to mean?”

Lara Jean turns her face away because she is trying unsuccessfully to keep from crying, “why are you so eager for me to leave you?” she gives up and the tears spill and she angrily wipes them from her cheek.

“I’m not eager for you to leave me. I would miss the hell out of you every minute of every day and night. But I’m not gonna be the guy who holds you back from anything or gives you ultimatums because you’ll only resent me for it later if not immediately.”

“Tell me you want me to stay” she cries and he shakes his head and that makes her cry harder. “Why not??”

“Because I’m not Charlie fucking Cotter, that’s why. You’re _still_ reacting to him, he’d give you an ultimatum, wouldn’t he? Him or Italy. He’d make you feel bad for wanting to go, he’d manipulate you into staying. Don’t treat me like him because I would never in a million years treat you the way he did.”

“I’m not going” she exclaims even though she knows she’s too upset to make a rational decision about it. She’s scared that he’s right – that her instincts are so well attuned to Charlie’s drama that it’s the only way she knows how to respond to a situation like this with someone she’s in a relationship with. 

“Lara Jean…” he drops his head back and lets out a frustrated sigh. “Do you trust me?” He looks back at her and she’s clutching herself and sniffling.

“Yes,” she whispers, “you know I do.”

He steps closer to her, “are you afraid that if you’re gone I’ll go back to no-strings-hook-ups?” She’s still and he steps closer again, “because that will never happen. I’m in love with _you_. I’m committed to _you_. You can be here or 4,000 miles away or 10,000 miles away and nothing is going to change that I promise you.”

“OK” she hiccups and she can see his eyes have softened, there’s a plea in them to say what he needs to hear.

“OK – you’ll go?” he reaches to her and waits for her slight nod to let him know she wants him to touch her and he runs his hands over her shoulders.

“OK – I know you’re committed to us. I’m still thinking about Italy. I want to talk to my family first.”

He moves right up to her and lifts her face with one hand and with the other he wipes the tears off her cheek. “I’m going to make us some pasta and you’ll realize you could have it so much better in Florence.” He grins at her and she can’t help but smile as he leans down and softly kisses her lips.

**

They sit side by side at the island eating the penne and veggies Peter has cooked up. Their moods have mellowed as they talk about the rest of their day and Peter grabs Lara Jean’s empty bowl to give her another serving. “You know,” he says from the stove, “I was going to make garlic bread too, but I needed to get the ingredients on the way home and our ride got derailed by…” he points an accusing finger at her and she gasps.

“Are you blaming me for the lack of garlic bread?”

“I am, actually” he puts the bowl back in front of her and leans down for a kiss. “Maybe next time you won’t have a tantrum when I don’t say exactly what you want to hear, and you’ll get garlic bread.” He sits back down with a smirk on his face and she shoves her shoulder into his.

“I’m about to have a tantrum because there’s no garlic bread!” They both laugh and she leans against him. “You are a really good cook. I’d be eating so badly if I wasn’t dating you. I inherited my dad’s cooking skills. My dinner repertoire is basically grilled cheese and rice bowls.”

“You’re the baker in this relationship” he rests his cheek on her head, “I cook, you bake. That’s what makes us a good team.”

“The best” she sighs and after a pause she adds, “I think we don’t fight enough.”

He coughs on his food, “you want us to fight more?”

“It’s just – I feel like I’m not well equipped for fighting. Bickering with sisters is completely different than dealing with my boyfriend. I feel like I go from zero to 60 in an instant and end up saying things that hurt you and see things I don't like in myself and I hate that.”

“Well it's not fun,” Peter looks at her, “but we’ve had what? Two fights in four months? And they’ve been over quickly. You may race up to 60, but you become reasonable pretty fast. You’re aware when you’re being insane.”

“I’m not insane!” she protests but he’s not entirely wrong, “well, I _act_ insane, but it’s only temporary. And it’s because I don’t know how to fight right – like, there must be healthy ways to argue with the person you love.”

“Must be” Peter taps his fork against the bowl a few times, “to be fair, I’m not great at fighting either. Between guys it’s a whole dumb male ego thing – and with Gen it always got ugly” he goes still and Lara Jean soothes her hand over his back.

“I’m sorry” she whispers, “I don’t mean to bring up painful things.”

He shrugs, “we need to talk about it, right? That’s a hard thing but I’d rather we figure it out than we yell at each other and you start to cry and I get frustrated. And at some point, I’m going to be the one acting insane and you’re going to have to get me off the ledge so – we should figure this out.” He looks at her and she nods her head.

“I love you” she says with a soft smile, “I love you a lot.”

“I love you too, even when I’m fighting with you and I may not be an expert, but I’m pretty sure that’s a good sign.”

They eat quietly and then she clears her throat, “if I _were_ to go abroad, would you come visit me? Like on spring break?”

“Absolutely” Peter says without hesitation, “I’ll work for my uncle over January break to make the money.”

“Airfare is still really steep, honey”

He turns to her, “well, I’ve got a free place to stay so – that will make it cheaper.” He gives her a grin.

“Oh, you do, huh?”

He nods, “yeah. There’s this super hot girl going to school in Florence. She’ll let me stay in her room in what is basically a goddamn villa.”

Lara Jean smiles, “she will? That’s pretty generous of her.”

Peter has abandoned his dinner and turned to her. He rests his palms on the tops of her thighs and he tilts his head to hers, “she’s very generous, this girl – and a total hellcat in bed…” he blows out a breath and she angles her head so their faces are close.

“She sounds amazing.”

“Ohhh…” he sighs, “she’s something else. I’m head over heels for her.”

Lara Jean runs her hands around his neck, “lucky girl” she murmurs as she brushes her lips against his and he makes a sweet, soft groan.

“Get over here, Covey” he growls and tugs her legs over his thighs so she’s practically straddling him. She digs her nails into his scalp and opens her mouth to kiss him and he kisses her back eagerly.

He can’t help but shift a hand up under her sweater and caress along the warm span of her back, loving the happy little sounds she makes as he does it. He lingers at her bra clasp and contemplates how tempted he is to just shove all the dishes off the island and go at each other right there in the kitchen like they were in a movie.

“Peter” she whispers between their kiss.

“Mmm hmmm” he moves from her lips along her jawline and down to her neck as she stretches to give him more access.

“I really, really want…”

“What do you want, baby?” he murmurs against her throat.

“…garlic bread” she finishes with a giggle and he gives the tendon on her neck a playful bite and she squeals in surprise.

“I want to take you to bed” he glances towards the hall where his room is. “Which one of us is going to get what we want?”

“Hmmm” she looks up and bites her lip and the strain of his hard-on against his jeans is making him shift in his seat. “How about we take advantage of this empty apartment and head to your room before the boys get home” he nods enthusiastically, “and after we’ll go to Sergio’s and get a big order of their cheesy garlic bread.”

“See? Compromise,” he slides off the stool and takes her hand, “we may have to work on confrontation, but we’ve got compromise all locked up.”

She giggles as she follows him down the hall, “look as us nailing this relationship thing!”

**

When the boys return the apartment is dark. In the kitchen they find an abandoned meal. “Maybe they went out?” Tony says but then spots Lara Jean’s bookbag, “or maybe not.”

Tommy is checking the pot on the stove, “hell yeah, there’s still some. Do you want any?” He starts reaching for forks and freezes. “Did you hear that?” he turns to Tony who is nodding.

“Uh…yeah. Sounds like they definitely made up.”

Tommy shakes his head, “fire up the game, no one needs to hear parents getting it on.”

Tony dives for the game remotes and adjusts the volume up. They start to play and after a while Tony says, “do you think Lara Jean will really go to Italy next semester?”

Tommy shrugs, “if she does, he’s going to be a _real fun_ to live with.”

Tony nods, his eyes still on the screen, “I’d miss her.”

“Me too, man. I love Lara Jean.”

“Same” Tony nods, “hard same.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the record show that I wrote Peter's "I'm not gonna be the guy..." line of dialogue at least a year before the AAF yearbook inscription! 😉


	8. Ciao!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some snapshots of Lara Jean's semester in Italy and she reunites with Peter as junior year comes to an end.
> 
> (This one does some short little time jumps over a five month period.)
> 
> 🚨🚨Smut ahead!!🚨🚨

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say how much I love you guys who are commenting on each chapter. It means so much to me to have this universe embraced like this. Every word and thought you share with me just makes my day - many thanks!
> 
> Also your compassion towards Lara Jean in "Han Solo and the Green-Eyed Monster" warmed my heart. It's never fun writing these two fighting - but is a necessary part of their growth as partners and I appreciate that was recognized.
> 
> And I'm completely amused by the impact of the "T-Team"! I loved developing their friends and friendship groups in this part and hope you continue to enjoy their appearances😘

Peter wakes up and turns over to the empty side of his bed. Lara Jean has been in Italy for over a month and he still has a moment each morning before he opens his eyes when he forgets she’s not going to be curled up against him.

He sighs and reaches for his phone and sends his good morning text. She’s five hours ahead so he’s usually waking up when she’s already in class or at lunch, and she’s going to bed when he’s finishing up practice or eating dinner.

He missed a bunch of her Instagram Stories, so he taps and there’s the usual set of foods she ate and a cute selfie of her with her English friend Annabelle posing in front of yet another gorgeous piece of architecture. Then several of her out with people at a party or maybe a club – she’s dressed up having fun and some are videos of dancing and everyone singing along to the music. He’s grinning as he moves through each slide and then he stops and pauses his finger on the screen on one where she’s in mid-laugh and there’s a guy from some of the earlier pictures with his arm slung around her shoulders. His body is tilted into hers and his face is by her ear like whatever he said is the reason she’s laughing so hard.

It’s the last pic and he doesn’t like that it just ends like that – did she get home OK? Is she hungover? And who is this guy and why is he so close to his girlfriend in the middle of the night in a club? He goes to WhatsApp and taps out a second message, _you get in alright Covey? You looked hot – wish I could have been dancing with you – miss you the most._ As soon as he hits send she’s calling him for a video chat.

“Hi baby!” he gushes and then frowns, “are you OK? Why aren’t you in class?” She appears to still be in bed even though it is 1:15 in the afternoon in Florence.

“Hi you” she smiles, “I’m OK. Can you talk now or do you have to get up?”

“I got some time. Why are you in bed?”

“Oh” she sighs, “because I went out on a school night and drank with Europeans and now I’m paying the price.”

He shakes his head, “my girl’s gone wild over there. How late were you out?”

She rubs her eyes and it’s so adorable he wants to grab her and kiss her, “I think we got back at 4?” she yawns. “Kids sip wine here so by the time they are our age they can drink us under the table.”

“You’re also a lightweight, Lara Jean” he teases and she nods in agreement. “I’m sorry you’re hungover. Have you been drinking water?”

“I need to go get more but I wanted to see your cute face to make me feel better. I wish you were here to cuddle me. I need my Peter Cuddles” she gives him a pout and he melts.

“Me too, babe. I wish I could get on a plane right now and be in your bed by tonight to take care of you.”

“That would be so very nice” she sighs.

“So – uh” he doesn’t want to interrogate her, but he has to ask, “who is that guy in your Stories?”

She wrinkles her nose, “which guy?”

“The guy who was making you laugh – was he hitting on you?”

She blinks a few times, “oh, Jean-Marc? He’s a friend in my program. He’s French.”

“Mmm hmmm” Peter nods and he watches the corners of her mouth turn up into a grin.

“What’s happening here Peter? Are you jealous?”

“No, just curious who he was and why he looked so tight with you.”

“You are!” she is full on smiling now, “you’re jealous!”

“Do I have anything to be jealous of? Is he into you?”

“Wait…” she pushes herself to sit up against her pillows, “…I just want to soak in this moment – that _my_ Peter Kavinsky is actually jealous because of another boy.”

“Ha ha” she is clearly enjoying his reaction to the photo.

“Oh I love this!” she giggles, “I’m always the one getting jealous and now you get to try it on, how does it feel?”

“Not great” he blows out a breath, “I trust you Covey, but I don’t exactly trust handsome French dudes named Jean-Luc getting cozy with you at 2 in the morning when everyone is wasted in a club.”

“Jean-Marc” she corrects.

“You’re enjoying my reaction _way_ too much! Can you at least tell me he’s gay?”

“We don’t lie in our relationship, Peter” she coos and he groans. “Alright, I won’t get you all riled up before breakfast. He’s in my poetry course and he’s really fun to go out with and it was a group of us and I honestly don’t even remember what he said that made me laugh because I was drunk and it was the middle of the night. I will be sure to tell him you think he’s handsome, though.”

“Yeah, you do that” he grins. “Sorry I was being a possessive boyfriend.”

She shrugs, “as someone who has been a little possessive about you more than a few times, I’ll remind you what you always tell me – that as long as you trust me and know how much I love you, there’s nothing to worry about. And when you come in March you can meet him and you’ll see he’s hilarious and then _you’ll_ want to be out at clubs with him all night long cracking up as he drinks you under the table.”

“Hey now!” he puts on an affronted face, “I am a red-blooded All-American jock! We can out-drink anyone! _Especially_ dudes from France.”

She laughs and then slides back down to nestle into her bed, “I can’t wait until you’re here. I’m counting the days. There’s still too many of them.”

“I can’t wait either. I don’t think we’re going to have time to be out clubbing anyway with all the things I plan to do to you in that comfy bed.”

She gives him a soft smile and a warm blush blooms over her cheeks, “you make a very good point.”

* * *

Lara Jean can’t stop eating her way through Florence. She’s never indulged in so much deliciousness in her entire life – crusty breads and lush pastas, delectable cheeses, mouthwatering pastries, and so much incredible street food. She’s become accustomed to the strong coffee and is so addicted to gelato that she is seriously concerned about having withdrawal symptoms when she goes back to the States. She can’t even recall a moment that she’s felt even a pang of hunger since she set foot in Italy.

Her Instagram has basically become a diary of all the incredible things she’s putting in her mouth and she has a running list of places to take Peter when he comes over on break – foods she wants him to try and watch him discover the tastes and flavors that she loves so much. She also wants to test a theory she has that one component of all this eating is that she’s using it as a substitute for sex, but she thinks that probably she’ll eat just as much with him here – between all the sex they’ll definitely be having.

But despite having an abundance of glorious foods right at her doorstep what she really craves right now is a Kavinsky Classic Breakfast Cereal Power Bowl. She wants Frosted Flakes and Lucky Charms and Golden Grahams drowned in whole milk. She wants to be eating it in her suite while Hailey sips her coffee and reads The New Yorker, and Brooke and Neeta have a dance party in the kitchen while simultaneously bickering over who is supposed to do the dishes. 

And she’s eating her cereal on the couch with Peter, her legs over his lap while he enjoys his own ridiculous concoction and they take turns trying each other’s cereal and discussing their mixes, laughing about the combos. The desire for it is so strong it takes her breath away for a second.

She knows this is just homesickness. That she misses her friends and familiar surroundings and Peter. She misses Peter _so much_. She has an entire itinerary planned for his visit in a few weeks, but she also suspects she won’t want to do anything more than lay in his arms and kiss him endlessly. She picks up her phone and scrolls through her camera roll until she finds a picture Brooke snapped the first morning that they were officially a couple – it was a morning just like the one she’s fantasizing about and she and Peter are cradling their cereal power bowls like proud parents showing off newborn babies. She smiles as she looks at it and remembers so vividly how deeply in love she already was.

She puts it on Instagram and types out a caption and tags him. It’s the middle of the night in Rhode Island so he’ll get it when he wakes up in a few hours and she knows exactly the drowsy, warm, beautiful smile he’ll have when he sees it.

 _Another a beautiful morning here in Florence but my mind is on a September morning after this beautiful boy declared his feelings for me from atop a table to a crowd of drunk classmates! He owns all of my heart and I miss him from breakfast to bedtime (And we make really great “cereal babies” together_ 😉 _) #kavinskyclassic #breakfastofchampions #pete_ 💕

* * *

They spend the last two days of Peter’s visit in the Tuscan countryside. It rains most of the time but that allows them to not feel too guilty about staying inside their room instead of packing in a lot of sightseeing. They take a tour and have more wonderful meals but mostly they walk and hold hands, dropping into cafés to take the chill off with espressos and pastries.

They are taking their time getting back to their hotel. It’s their last night together – tomorrow they take the train back to Florence and tomorrow night he gets on a flight to Boston then drives the Jeep that he left at the airport back to Providence and his empty bed. The mood is decidedly somber as they walk quietly with arms and fingers intertwined. One thing Peter has noticed about Italy is that the people are very affectionate and passionate. It’s not unusual to see couples staring into each other’s eyes at a restaurant or making out in the middle of a piazza. He stops and turns into her and lifts her chin to look up at him so he can kiss her. It’s soft and sensual as he nuzzles at her mouth and captures the sigh she makes. Then he drops a kiss on her chin and keeps walking.

A little farther he stops and kisses her again and this time she reaches her hands to hold his face. This kiss is longer but still gentle and he can feel how it’s turning them both on. He places kisses all over her face and it starts raining very lightly but that just adds to the romantic atmosphere they are creating. They part and walk a little farther and Lara Jean is the one who stops this time and runs her hands up into his hair to pull him down into a kiss. It’s much less of an exploration now than a demand.

When they finally reach their hotel room, they undress each other without any words, just heated kisses and accelerated breaths and they move into each other as if they have all the time in the world even though they know they don’t have much time left at all.

**

The Italian countryside zips past the windows of the train and they cling together watching it go by. Lara Jean feels an ache as the hours tick down to Peter’s departure. It’s reminiscent of how she felt when she walked down a jetway in Portland away from him in January. “It’s only another two and a half months” she murmurs.

“Hmm?” Peter dips his head down closer to her face.

“We’ll be together again in two and a half months.”

He nods, “we’re half-way through. And we’ve had this incredible time together which I’ll never forget.”

“Me either.” She worries her lip, “I’m just going to be completely miserable for at least the next week if not more.”

“Nah” he brushes a lock of hair back behind her ear, “you’ve been having a fucking amazing experience Lara Jean, and you’re going to have more after I leave tonight. Don’t wish this time away. Keep enjoying all your moments. Being apart sucks but you’re loving it here and it makes me really happy to see. I’m so proud of you baby.”

She smiles, “maybe we can come back together one day, Lila and Pete take Italy.”

He chuckles and presses his lips to hers, “let's come back on our honeymoon. Our _real_ one.”

* * *

“Dude, where is this place? I gotta get back to my phone. I can’t miss my call with Lara Jean.” Peter is driving Tommy all over greater Providence in search of a certain machine shop that has a part he needs for his mechanical engineering final.

“You won’t, chill out. It’s not my fault you forgot your phone.”

“Yeah, it kinda is,” Peter retorts. Tommy was having yet another Girl Drama before they left and, in its aftermath, Tommy rushed him out and his phone remained charging in their kitchen.

“You talk to her all the time, she’ll be fine if you’re a little late” Tommy says, “Dorito?” he offers Peter the bag and Peter ignores it.

“She’s leaving Florence tomorrow and there’s some event she has to go to tonight. She was adamant we only had this little window to talk today.”

“Welllll….” Tommy reasons, “you’ll see her tomorrow anyway, so you miss one call. Or like, call her from mine if you want.”

Lara Jean’s semester in Italy is coming to an end and Peter has gone from counting down the months to weeks, then days to finally hours. Even though he’ll pick her up at the airport tomorrow and see her again for the first time since spring break, he refuses to miss the chance to see her over FaceTime even for a few minutes today. And he doesn’t want to do it on Tommy’s phone with any audience.

“If you would learn how to drive then you could have taken my car.” Peter grumbles.

“Hey Mr. America, sorry but in Puerto Rico not every kid is given a car on their 16th birthday.” Tommy laughs, “some of us have to rely on our roommates and their Jeeps.”

With a sigh Peter grabs Tommy’s phone to look at the GPS again, “that is not even close to how I ended up with this car but, whatever. Are you sure that this place even exists? It’s starting to feel like we’re on the world’s worst scavenger hunt.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s up here somewhere, this looks familiar from when I came to order it. Hey, after you want to hit up Sergio’s for pizza? My treat for your taxi service.”

“ _Lara Jean_ ” Peter hisses, “are you listening to me at _all_?”

Tommy laughs, “You are like, obsessed with this girl.”

Peter gives him a look, “she’s my girlfriend who I’m in love with and haven’t seen in months and I’ve fucking missed her.”

“I have to say I’m impressed PK, I saw you get hit on like, 37 times this semester and you never once took any chick up on it.”

Peter snorts, “I barely even went out 37 times let alone had that many girls hit on me. I got the girl I want, why would I bother with the others?”

Tommy reaches over and pats him on the shoulder, “you’re a good man, Peter Kavinsky. And hey – look at that – we’re here!”

Checking the clock on his dash Peter turns to Tommy, “you’ve got 15 minutes before I leave you here to make it in time for my call, we clear?”

“Yes, dad.” Tommy grins and hops out of the car.

**

When he reaches the apartment, Peter bolts up the stairs and races to his phone. He’s almost 15 minutes late for their call and is surprised to not have any messages from Lara Jean asking where he is.

The place is quiet – Tony had a soccer game and he dropped Tommy off at his lab to work on his final. Peter kicks off his shoes and texts Lara Jean, _sorry_ , _just got back from being a better friend than Tommy deserves, can you still talk?_

The three dots appear like she’s responding but then they stop. “Shit” he mutters under his breath as he grabs a water from the fridge and opens FaceTime. He’s still in the living room when the ringing starts, and he hears something from down the hall. Moving the phone from his ear he takes a step into the hall and hears it again. Tony probably left his phone in his room.

Lara Jean isn’t picking up and he anxiously pushes his hair back and heads to his bedroom. He hears something inside his room – he hears a phone ringing. “What the fuck?” he mutters as he opens the door.

“Should I answer this?” Lara Jean asks waving her phone at him. “It’s my boyfriend, but he’s late…” his jaw has dropped open. She’s wearing his Adler High lacrosse shirt that she asked to take with her to Italy. And that seems to be _all_ she’s wearing sitting on his bed with her bare legs crossed and her damp hair falling around her shoulders. “But, I’m actually early…” she muses, “so I guess maybe he’s not really late?”

“Holy shit” Peter gasps as he rushes towards her and gathers her up into his arms, “are you here?? Is this really you??” He squeezes her and moves a hand over her face, making sure she’s real.

“Surprise!” she giggles, “it’s me!” He’s started kissing all over her face and grasping into her hair, his mouth finding hers and kissing her hard. “Guess you missed me” she whispers as she pulls away to catch her breath.

“What are you doing here? I thought I was picking you up tomorrow night?” He’s staring at her wide eyed.

“I had an opportunity to leave a day earlier, so I took it. I wanted to surprise you. I couldn’t wait any longer to see you.”

“I’m pretty fucking surprised, Covey!” he kisses her again, “what about your party? Or thing? You had something to go to tonight?”

She shakes her head, “that did happen, but it was two nights ago. I may have slightly deceived you about the timing. I needed to keep you in the dark about coming back early.”

He suddenly feels the shock of the moment wear off and he stumbles back and sits on his bed. He pulls her towards him and rests his forehead on her stomach. “I can’t believe this. How did you get here?”

She runs her fingers through his hair and it feels like possibly the greatest sensation he’s ever experienced. “I had some help…”

He looks up, “like who? The squad?”

She nods, “yes, they picked me up. But I had to make sure you were out of the apartment.”

Peter coughs out a laugh, “Tommy? Wait, he was in on it?”

“They both were! Tony let me in. He also made sure you didn’t have your phone all day so you couldn’t call me from wherever you were.”

He grips her hips, “are you serious? That asshole! Wait…did Tommy even need a ride? Was that bullshit?”

She shakes her head, “I think that was legit, but it might have been timed so you’d be out when I needed you to be. And we agreed that they’d be out when _I_ needed them to be.”

“You devious little….” He grins at her and runs his hands down her sides and up under the hem of the shirt, “…and goddamn” he licks his lips, “you know how much I love you half-naked in my clothes.”

“Mmm hmm” she sighs as she pushes him back enough so she can climb on his lap and straddle him, “this shirt stopped smelling like you and that made me sad, will you fix it?”

He lifts a lock of hair off her shoulder and wraps it around his fingers, “I can do that” then he flips her onto the bed and they are both laughing as he moves beside her.

“I feel like I’m dreaming. I have thought about you here, in my room, in my bed basically every hour of every day since you went to Italy. I thought I had one more night to go.”

“You don’t” she murmurs as she touches his face, “I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. And I mean that literally. That girl Hannah still has my room for the rest of the semester, so I need to stay here until we leave for New York.” The smile that splits Peter’s face makes her throw her head back and laugh, “I take it that is OK with you?”

“Covey,” he cups her face, “I’m not sure I can even go to classes for the next week if it means leaving you.”

She tugs him by his shirt to bring him against her and sighs, “you have to finish school so we can be seniors together sweetheart. I’ll be here every morning, and every night waiting for you.”

Peter groans and reaches for her leg to pull up around his waist, “are you going to be waiting looking like this?”

“I can be” she sighs as she slips her hands under the hem of his shirt and starts running her fingers along his spine, “or less if you want.” He nods his head and kisses down her throat and over her neck, “or to mix it up I could wear a lot of clothes and you could undress me…like I’m your pretty little doll.”

He sinks his teeth into her shoulder and she arches up into him, “this kind of dirty talk is doing things to me” he murmurs against her skin. “You got more of it?”

She nods her head slowly, “I do. I even know some in Italian.”

He reaches back and peels his shirt off, “you learned how to say dirty things in Italian for me?” she nods as her eyes travel all over his bare torso, “that is so fucking hot, Covey.”

“Not as hot as this” she presses her hands against his chest, “wow, I need to be naked with you like, _now_.”

“Done” he helps her out of the shirt and they both start to laugh as they reach for his belt at the same time, “ladies first” he gestures at his waistband.

They are both so eager that there’s nothing romantic or even smooth about how they come together. All he knows is that within seconds he’s moving inside her again, feeling her heat constricting around him and her breathy little moans in his ear. The feel of her fingernails digging over his back and palms pressing him deeper into her make him feel lightheaded and greedy to make her come instantly. He remembers how he can slip an arm under her hips and lift her to just the right angle to make her explode and when he moves his arm to do it, she remembers too and starts urging him on, her pleas turning into demands as he gets her right to the edge and then pounds into her as she seizes around him, her orgasm coursing through her so hard that it doesn’t take him long to come after her.

They lay wrapped around each other, panting on top of his comforter. They never even got under the sheets. “The next one will be slow and sweet, promise” he manages to say, and she nods.

“Ohmigod” she sighs, "I missed _you_ the most."

* * *

Peter quietly closes his bedroom door and tries to put his backpack down without making a noise. When it touches the floor with a slight thump, he glances over at Lara Jean asleep in his bed but she doesn’t stir. He’s had so much work to do since she got back from Florence and he’s hated every minute of it because it took him away from her. Final exams and papers and projects – and still having to do shit for lacrosse – he’s fucking exhausted.

He undresses and turns off the desk light she left on for him and lifts the covers and slides into bed with her. Moving behind her he wraps an arm around her waist and places a kiss on her shoulder before he rests his head on the pillow. He’s loved everything about having her here – waking up to her pouty morning face and that his pillows smell like her shampoo; having her skin care jars and toothbrush in his bathroom and her clothes in his closet. He loves that he gets to eat dinner with her and comes home to her lounging on the couch with a book and that she wraps her arms around his neck and gives him a long, deep welcome home kiss each time. Soon they’ll have an entire summer living together just like this and he can’t wait.

“Did you finish?” she murmurs and he lifts his head.

“Hmm?”

“Your paper…did you finish it?”

He’d been in the library all night working on his International Relations term paper – the last thing he had to do before officially finishing with junior year. “Yeah, maybe tomorrow you can check it over for me? Make sure it’s not a mess.”

She nods her head, “it’s not a mess. But I’ll look. I know you did great babe, you’ve worked so hard.”

He presses his lips to her ear, “thanks Covey. I’m sorry I woke you up.”

She squirms herself closer to him, “I don’t mind. I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” He strokes his hand along her stomach, and she sighs softly. After a few minutes he thinks she’s fallen back to sleep and he’s starting to drift off when she speaks.

“This is my favorite part of the day.”

Peter grins in the dark and kisses the back of her head, “mine too.”

“I love when that happens” she whispers, “I love you.”

“I love you too Lara Jean.”

**Author's Note:**

> Title: I Believe / Jonas Brothers (2019)
> 
> We're back on a Chapter-a-Day diet!
> 
> Like all writers I crave feedback! Please share in the comments if you have any and thank you for reading!
> 
> Find me on Tumblr! [ Hit up my inbox!](https://queenie-004.tumblr.com/)


End file.
